1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to metal pipe used in the oil and gas industry. More particularly, the present invention relates to metal pipe that is bendable, called coiled tubing. More particularly, the present invention relates to apparatus and methods for straightening coiled tubing.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
Coiled tubing is a term referred to metal piping that is used in the oil and gas drilling industry. Coiled tubing is a metal pipe that usually comes in small sizes, varying from less than one inch to several inches in outer diameter. Because of its small size, coiled tubing is bendable. This is contrast to conventional drilling tubulars which are larger in outer diameter and not flexible. Because it is bendable, coiled tubing is stored on a spool prior to and after its use. A spool can typically hold great lengths of coiled tubing, with some lengths of reaching even over a mile of coiled tubing on one single spool. On advantage of coiled tubing over traditional drilling tubulars is that the entire length stored on a spool is continuous. This is contrast to traditional drilling tubular that come in sixty to ninety foot increments and must be patched end-to-end while drilling.
Coiled tubing has many uses. Coiled tubing can be used to circulate fluid within a wellbore. It may also be used to pump a fluid to a specific location in a well for purposes such as cementing perforations in a wellbore or performing chemical washes of downhole components. Coiled tubing can also be used for drilling a well. A drillbit can be attached to an end of the coiled tubing and the coiled tubing is pushed into the ground so as to drill a wellbore for a well.
As a result of the many uses of coiled tubing, it is used frequently within the oil and gas well drilling industry. One problem associated with the use of coiled tubing in the oil and gas industry is that disposal of used coiled tubing. Normally, used coiled tubing is wound back around a spool. The spool is then taken to a disposal location, the spool is simply left at that location. Thus, after disposal there is normally no further utilization of coiled tubing. Because used coiled tubing is almost never utilized once it is used, it because a worthless scrap metal. Scrap coiled tubing becomes a financial burden on oil and gas drilling companies because not only is the scrap coiled tubing worthless, it is useless and requires additional costs for its disposal.
One such possible use for scrap coiled tubing is in the cattle and ranching industries. Scrap coiled tubing is the perfect size for the tubing need to build continuous fences and cattle guards in the cattle and ranching industries. If there were a way to straighten the scrap coiled tubing, then oil and gas companies would not have to dispose of the scrap coiled tubing, could sell the scrap coiled tubing, and cattle and ranching products could be made from straightened coiled tubing. Thus, there is a need to straighten scrap coiled tubing.
Various patents have been issued relating to the straightening of tubing such as coiled tubing. For example, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0107756, published on Jun. 10, 2004 to Foster, discloses a tubing straightening system having two orthogonally positioned sets of rollers for straightening tubing in a first plane and a second plane. Each set of rollers includes two pairs of opposing and corresponding rollers wherein the position of the two pairs of opposing rollers with respect to the corresponding pair yields tubing passing through the set of rollers in two directions to produce a straightened tube in either of the first or second planes, respectively. The tube straightening system is particularly effective in straightening tubing for downhole torsional applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,955, issued on May 12, 1987 to Redman, discloses an apparatus for straightening tubing that has a mount for mounting a helically wound coil of tubing for free rotation about the axis of the coil, a first series of tubing straightening roller operable to draw tubing from a helically wound coil of tubing through the first rollers and to approximately straighten the tubing as the tubing is advanced through the first rollers, a severing device for receiving the tubing from the first rollers and cyclically severing a length of approximately straightened tubing from the tubing advanced to the severing device by the first rollers, a conveyer for receiving a length of tubing severed by the severing device and axially advancing the length of tubing, a thrower that receives a length of tubing from the conveyer and throws the tubing axially, a second series of tubing straightening rollers that have an inlet and operable to accurately straighten a severed length of approximately straightened tubing, and a tube guide extending from the throwing means to the inlet of the second rollers for guiding a severed length of tubing thrown by the thrower into the inlet of the second roller.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,733, issued on Feb. 16, 1988 to Suarez et al., discloses an apparatus for cutting an elongated workpiece of indefinite length into articles of predetermined length that has drive rollers to feed the workpiece, horizontal and vertical straightener rollers, and a movable carriage assembly which moves in parallel with the workpiece. The free end of the workpiece contacts the carriage assembly and imparts movement to the assembly. The carriage assembly includes a cutter assembly for severing the workpiece, a stripper assembly for breaking the article from the workpiece, and a kick-out for sending the article to a storage bin.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,444,716, issued on May 20, 1968 to Martin, discloses a device for bending, coiling, or straightening tubing that has a rigid grooved roll associated with the second roll at least a periphery of which is formed of yieldable resilient material. Preferably, the yieldable resilient material is a ring received in a peripheral channel formed in a rigid circular support body. The rolls are adjustable towards and away from each other to vary the amount of curvature imparted to or removed from tubing.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,587, issued on Jan. 15, 1974 to Meyfarth et al., discloses a coil made of a continuous piece of elongated material, such as tubing, pre-bent into pancake-like spirals called radial layers, each radial layer made up of several concentric and coplanar convolutions, with several radial layers stacked axially. The material is bent prior to coiling at predetermined bending radii which are different for different convolutions within a radial layer. One or more of the convolutions within each radial layer may be bent at a constant bending radius. The rest may be bent at gradually changing radii. The bending radius is controlled by an electric and hydraulic network employing both timed and feedback controls. The coil may be built either upwardly, with the most recently made radial layer always at the bottom of the coil, or it can be built downwardly, with the most recently made radial layer always on the top of the coil.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,828,602, issued on Aug. 13, 1974 to Leithiser, discloses an assemblage for forming and straightening elongated articles in which the primary forming and straightening force is exerted through an elongated articulated member defining a relatively elongated segment engageable with a portion of the elongated article, such segment extending axially of the elongated article engaged thereby and being selectively generative from a linear configuration and through various arcuate configurations from one having an infinite radius to one forming a tangent arc at the apex of engagement thereof with the elongated article.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,668, issued on Sep. 10, 1996 to Council et al., discloses a twin carriage coiled tubing injector apparatus for use in inserting coiled tubing into a well, temporarily suspending the coiled tubing, and removing the tubing from the well. The apparatus includes a superstructure with a pair of spaced carriages disposed therein. The carriages each have a gripper chain drive system rotatably mounted thereon and movable therewith. An actuation and linkage system allows the carriage to be moved toward and away from one another in a transverse direction with respect to the superstructure. This movement allows gripper chain systems to be engaged or disengaged from tubing extending through the apparatus. A roller chain system is disposed in each of the carriages and is adapted for engagement and support of the gripper chain systems as the gripper chain systems are engaged with the tubing. A timing gear system may optionally be provided to insure that the rotational speed of the gripper chain systems are substantially constant.
It is an object of the present invention to convert scrap, or used, coiled tubing into straightened pipe.
It is another object of the present invention to straighten coiled tubing for use in the cattle industry.
It is another object of the present invention to straighten coiled tubing for use in the ranching industry.
It is a another object of the present invention to cut straightened coiled tubing in predetermined lengths.
It is another object of the present invention to automate the straightening of coiled tubing.
It is still another object of the present invention to straighten coiled tubing from any angle around the perimeter of the outer surface of the coiled tubing.
It is another object of the present invention to straighten coiled tubing of any diameter.
It is another object of the present invention to enhance the value of scrap coiled tubing.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.